Do I have to start my shingles vaccines again if I got the 1st years ago? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions

BOSTON - Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your latest health questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter). 

Jack writes, "I went to my eye doctor yesterday and she asked whether I had received the shingles vaccine. I told her I got the first dose in 2021 but wasn't able to get the second. She said I now have to start all over again. Is this correct?"

Ideally, you want to get your second shot two to six months after your first, but according to the CDC, if you have waited longer than six months, you do not need to start all over again. Just get the second dose as soon as possible.

Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.     

In:
• Health
• Vaccine

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

Twitter Facebook